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The third clue deals with the “home of the Brown”, this has been touted as the main clue. If you find the home of the Brown, you will find the location of where to start your search (which particular canyon or river) and possibly complete your search. The full clue is “Put in below the home of Brown.” So the thought is that your search begins below this thing that is Brown. I say ‘thing’, because people have conjectured that it is the home of a famous person, explorer, or celebrity (i.e., The unsinkable Moly Brown), a color of a mountain, or the name of an animal. Since Brown is capitalized (Forrest meant it that way) it is assumed to be a proper name or an animal’s name like Brown trout or Brown bear. Capitalization also denotes importance. Dal, one of the most avid searches, believed it was related to Brown trout

This was a few years ago, he may have other thoughts as well and he shares them on his blog. Dal’s blog has been very insightful. Thanks for sharing Dal.

Many folks believe that ‘Put in’ hints that Forrest put the chest in a cave or in the water. Or I have seen others say that ‘Put in’ is a boating/fishing team meaning put the boat in the water or step into the river to start your journey, such as, ‘put in’ at the boat ramp. I prefer the later interpretation of ‘put in’ meaning start the journey or launch your ship.

The launching version makes cense for where we are in the poem too, we are only at the 8th line of 24 (1/3 of the way). Also the next line begins, “From there”, it sure seems like Forrest is still giving step by step directions once we establish a starting point. However, using either version, you will still need to define the home of Brown. Whether you do an extensive search directly below the home or whether it is a launch point depends on your other clues, such as finding the blaze

But I would not be surprised if this clue actually has double meanings. It is the shortest clue and the most succinct. You may find the treasure under the home of Brown, but after starting from a different home of Brown.

Do you think this is the home of Brown; I think Not

Do you think Forrest meant PJ’s Home of Brown. I think not. Let’s use Yellowstone as an example. Begin where warm water halts. Clue 2. The Madison River was one of Forrest Fenn’s Favorite rivers for many fishing holes. The Madison River flows into the Hebgen Lake which is dammed. The Geysers from Yellowstone feed into the water of the Madison via Fire Hole River. Hence Warm waters halt at the dammed lake. Clue 3. Grizzly Bears are a subspecies of ‘Brown bears’ per wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_bear Grizzlies live in Yellowstone and therefore it is there home, so when the Madison River crosses into Yellowstone, we ‘Put in below the home of Brown’ (i.e., Launch) for our search. (As an example of the double meaning, if we find the treasure under water, Brown trout live in the river, so it could be said that the gold was ‘put in below the home of Brown’.)

Sentence Clue

Discussion of Meaning

As I have gone alone in there and with my treasures bold, I can keep my secret where, and hint of riches new and old.

1. The clues are hinting to both old and new secret riches. A cypher of old riches, (Nine Mile Hole in Yellowstone) hinting toward new riches: The treasure.

Begin it where warm waters halt and take it in the canyons down, not far, but too far to walk.

2. Start your search at the bottom of a canyon of a hot spring fed river (or any river) flowing into a river (or dam) and travel some distance in the river [likely defined by clue #1].

From there it’s no place for the meek, The end is ever drawing nigh; there’ll be no paddle up your creek, just heavy loads and water high.

4.

Therefore I believe the most import way to use this clue is to use the launch definition and determine what is the home of the Brown and start your quest below it; where warm waters halt. This would also be the point where you would start measuring any distances if you buy into the cypher concept. But keep an ever watchful eye out for a Blaze under ‘the home of Brown’. I am currently inclined to believe that home of the Brown, means Brown Trout, but I would hate to deter great searching.

Any other thoughts on what the home of the Brown is? Thoughts on clue 4 will be in the following blogs.